Nico

We made Poseidon pay the hospital bills that came out of Percy having to have (another) blood transfusion and being kept in the hospital for 3 days because of the depressive and suicidal thoughts he was starting to have again.

We also told the hospital that my dad was his dad, not Poseidon. It was family only. I was considered family as I live with them and all.

So, yeah. Now Poseidon was starting to finally get the idea that Percy was going through some shit that he'll never get. Things that Percy doesn't want Poseidon around for because of this. This happens when Poseidon tries to do the dad thing.

Poseidon went to the hospital, yeah. They wouldn't let him see Percy, but he was there.

Hades

Percy explained a lot of shit to me. And it started off simple. It didn't make sense to me that he was stuck here for three days because of a blood transfusion. I didn't get it.  So I asked about it.

"Why are stuck here for as long as you are again?" I asked the son of Poseidon. And he just looked like absolute shit. I felt so bad for him. Because at least I try to be there for Nico consistently.

I call him and I invite him for the holidays and everything. I got upset that he didn't tell me he was living with Percy. That was our argument. It was something that's already passed. He explained to me after we got to the hospital that it was a last minute sort of thing. He's been busy, he's been bad about calling people and keeping them up to date. But he promised to spend either Christmas or Christmas Eve with us. Whatever one the Jackson's don't do.

But oh my gods, Nico worried about Percy a lot. It was... I wonder if they're together.

"Oh, it's not because of the transfusion." Percy explained. "I'm here for three days because of my depression and stuff. 72 hours watch. It's my... 7th... Time this year."

He seemed pretty ashamed in that.

"Hey, don't be ashamed." I insisted, knowing that 72 hour watches are typically because of the suicidal side of things. "You're not dead yet. It'll get better."

"Yeah..." He said, staring blankly. "I don't even remotely believe that anymore."

It was his tone and just everything about what he said that made me realize that Percy Jackson was a lot further gone than I would've ever guessed.

I mean, it mostly made sense. With the death he's seen and his dad and stress and whatever.

Trust me, it wasn't hard to tell the first time I saw him that he doesn't just open up to you. You have to pick at him and annoy the shit out of him before he will tell you anything. Unless he actually has a lot of faith in you, it takes a lot of time and a lot of prying for Percy to say anything important.

"Why not believe it?" I asked out of curiosity. He has to let it out. He can't hold this in forever. It was starting to make sense, how worried Nico was when Percy lashed out on Poseidon.

"Because that's all I've ever heard," he snapped and covered his mouth for a second, his voice cracking and just... It was terrible. "That's all everyone has ever told me. And it's not true. Maybe yeah, one day I could be happy. I have been happy before. Not for long. It never lasts more than a day. I just ran out of motivation. If my life is shit, it's shit. If it turns out to be great, that's wonderful. I'm just waiting out until I can leave here and start with a clean slate. Leave behind the half blood life. Mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Well, I have friends." He told me, calmer now. "And I'd like to keep them. They're nice people. That's why they're my friends."

And that threw me through a loophole. Because I didn't know what was going on between Percy and Nico for sure. I had ideas and hopes and whatever. But I wasn't someone to assume. Mostly. I assume different things here and there.

"What about Nico?" I asked. "Sorry if that's weird because I'm his dad. I just know you guys have a weird, bad history."

Percy nodded and let off something as if he was humored by the question.

"I thought told you, my gods." The son of Poseidon remarked. "We did have a really bad start, yeah. We just never really talked after Bianca died until the Giant War and after that we started talking more and we're friends now. After Annabeth cheated on me and Will cheated on him, we started to hang out. My mom made him move in. We tried to get ahold of you. Nobody ever answered."

I was actually delighted to hear that they were getting along. Which, I guess they almost had to. I'm assuming they share the same room.

As we continued to talk, I ventured into the subject of his dad and that situation.

"It's not..." Percy tried to explain to me. "I have trust issues. And it's not as bad as it bad 5, 6 years ago. But my mom's ex husband, Gabe, kind of caused a lot of my problems. I'm really self conscious and not confident because of him. All of my confidence is fake. Well, most of it. I know I'm good at some things. I lived in fear because of him. I didn't want to tell anyone what he was doing or what he did to me. I didn't want to open up. I didn't want to come out. It didn't matter to me that Nico and Will were fuck buddies and Apollo and Leo hit on every guy in sight. I didn't want to do it. The idea terrified me. It still does."

Okay.

So Percy's problem has a rhyme of reason to it. His problem is accepting himself and coming to terms with himself and everything that's happened. He's not afraid of losing his dad. He's afraid of losing him because of Percy being bi or something.

That was... I'll have to ask Poseidon about it.

Afterwards I was in the lobby. Waiting for Sally because I wanted to get Percy just a nice bag of candy or something, but I didn't know what he like and Nico wasn't sure.

Poseidon, Nico, and I started to talk. And I brought up the fun little idea that Percy wasn't straight. I brought it up as a joke. Nico went with it. I imagine Nico knows.

But Poseidon wasn't having it.

"That's not funny." My brother insisted. "You know what I think about that. Your kids can be gay all they want, I don't care. My kids won't be. They will be straight. In Percy's case, with a woman that he can have children with."

Nico instantly lost his respect for Poseidon.

"Um, first of all." My gay son started off. "Fuck you. What would you even do if Tyson or Percy told you they were bi or gay?"

I raised him well. So did Maria and Bianca. Sally and Paul, too.

It was a team effort.

"Excuse you, Nico." Poseidon mouthed him off right back. "I don't like your tone. As long as Percy is with Annabeth I don't want to—"

"They broke up last May."

Oh shit.

Poseidon gave Nico and cold stare down, as I he didn't want to believe it. But he had to. Why would Nico lie about that? At such a time that it's the end of November. If he lied, he'd say it was a lot more recent. Not 6 months ago.

"What are you talking about?"

"Yeah," Nico confirmed for him. "Annabeth cheated on him with Will. When Will found out they were still together he got mad and Annabeth got knocked up by Jason. She's 6 months pregnant. They haven't been together for a long time."

That confused my brother. Which is normally hard to do. But it made sense when considering what he knew.

"But..." He stated. "Percy told me like... It was a week ago that he was going out for dinner for an anniversary soon. I assumed it was for him and Annabeth. Who... Who is he with now?"

"Me."